Table tops are made with a variety of shapes and sizes. Two common shapes are round and rectangular, typically with seating capacities of two or more. Traditional methods of expanding the surface area and/or seating capacity of a table have included various manners of adding a table top section or leaf to the table. With an existing round table, for example, one or more leaves added to the center of the table top will make it generally oblong or oval in shape. With an existing rectangular table top, adding one or more leaves will form the table top into a longer rectangle. The designs of these tables are relatively complex in order to allow for the ability of the table sections to be pulled apart for accommodating the added leaf, and then pushed back together and locked in place.
Other proposals for expanding the surface area of an existing table top have included adding outer sections to the periphery or outer edges of the table in various manners. Some designs require special connecting structure on the existing table that will mate with connecting structure on the outer sections and/or may require additional table legs coupled with the added table top sections for purposes of supplying the necessary support and stability.
Still further designs for expanding the surface area of a table include drop-leaf tables in which the leaves are fixed with hinges to the main table top, and are only extended on the same plane as the main table top when added seating capacity or table top area is needed. One drawback of drop-leaf tables is that the side or sides of the table with the drop leaf or leaves may not be easily used by a seated individual when the leaf is not extended. In this regard, the vertically oriented drop leaf reduces or eliminates the leg room for a seated individual. Moreover, the support provided for the leaf in the extended position may not be adequate enough to carry a large load, and this can affect the integrity of the hinges.
Various other designs have been proposed over the years that involve even more complex mechanisms and table top designs to allow additional seating capacity and table top surface area. It would be desirable to provide a manner of expanding the surface area of an existing table top in a relatively simple, and cost effective manner while enabling the existing table to provide the structural support to the expanded table top.